Warning Siren
by Caitriona3
Summary: Their ride is late, so Ward & Skye check out a disturbance in the park. They meet someone...and now a secret is imperiled. (So, premise is the Avengers still think Coulson is dead.)


_Author's Note – this demanded it be written. I'm not hugely comfortable with the AoS characters yet (except Coulson), but the scene would not leave me alone until I got it down on paper. Enjoy!_

**Warning Siren**

"What the hell are these things anyway?" Agent Grant Ward stared down at the army of miniature robots trundling across Central Park.

"I think they're cute," Skye laughed at him. "They remind me of WALL-E."

They had just stepped out of a nearby diner when they spotted a crowd of people gesturing and pointing, many of them taking pictures. With their most recent job over and their ride not yet present due to some snarl of traffic, they decided to take a look. The two strolled over to find a swarm of one foot tall robots. It might have just been amusing, except nobody could stop them. Anytime someone tried to touch one, they received a nasty shock.

A local tough, probably a member of one of the gangs who argued over the park's nighttime control, complained about the shock being somewhere between major static electricity and a taser.

Shrieks erupted nearby and Skye followed the sound, moving before Ward could grab her arm. He rolled his eyes and shadowed her. A group of teenagers had apparently tried to grab one of the mechanical critters with the now inevitable results.

"Cute, huh?" Ward asked in a low, sotto voice. "Cute like a jellyfish maybe."

"Well, if people would just leave them alone," she started to reply. Another shriek interrupted her.

"Oh, for crying out loud."

Ward and Skye glanced around, following the new voice to its source. A bored looking brunette sat at the table of a park café. With her curly hair pulled into a messy pony tail and wearing an oversized sweatshirt with jeans, she could have been any average college student. However, instead of scattering and scurrying about, she had merely propped her boots up on the table in front of her. Her eyes met Ward's and he was tempted to chuckle at the irritation glittering in those green eyes.

"People can be so stupid sometimes," she told him. "The damn things are stinging anyone who touches them. So why the hell are they playing 'snatch the robot'?"

He shrugged. "There are too many people who had an innate desire to be born as lemmings?"

Skye blinked, but the brunette just laughed. "I think I might like you."

"Please," Skye looked at other woman. "Please don't encourage him."

Ward's phone rang before the brunette could reply. He glanced at the screen and connected. "Yes, sir?"

"You're not at your pick-up zone," Coulson's voice came through the line steady enough, but Ward could hear the question behind it.

"Central Park is currently…inundated with twelve inch, electroshock robots."

There was a pause on the other end before Coulson spoke again, "Robots?"

"Yes, sir."

"They wouldn't happen to be headed either towards or away from a certain mansion on 5th, would they?"

"Sir?" Ward's voice notched up in question.

"Never mind," Coulson answered. "I'm following your signal now."

Ward stepped away from the quietly talking women, but made sure to stay within earshot as well as reach of Skye.

Coulson's voice came back. "Yes, I see them. I should be at your location in a moment."

Ward glanced over his shoulder. "Skye?" He heard her say something to the brunette. They both laughed and then Skye stepped over to him.

"What's up?"

"Coulson-"

"I'm here." Coulson stepped around the corner just in front of them. He nodded to them before turning his eyes back to the small robotic creatures. "This is different."

"No, this is a day in Central Park." The brunette came from behind Ward, green eyes flashing as they pinned Coulson. Ward glanced over, startled to see his boss give a very, very light flinch as the woman came into view. She folded her arms over her chest and glared. "Let me guess," she said in a tone thick with sarcasm. "Rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated?"

"Miss Lewis," Coulson sighed.

"Don't you 'Miss Lewis' me," she fumed. "You're looking lively for a dead guy!"

"Circumstances-"

Now her expression grew downright stormy, radiating anger to the point Ward wanted to back up. He recognized the name, or thought he did, if it was the same woman. A Darcy Lewis has been listed in the files pertaining to Thor's first arrival on Earth. She had been, possibly still was the assistant or intern for Doctor Jane Foster, astrophysicist. Coulson, he now recalled, had been part of the initial SHIELD team.

"Circumstances?" she repeated in a disbelieving tone. "Don't even try to excuse this? _You_ have not been the one dealing with the Avengers."

Coulson frowned. "Why are you-?"

"There was an invasion in London, and the big guy is back," she waved that off. "It kind of spiraled from there. By the way," she said, eyes tracking over to Ward, "I'm not sure I like you as much if you're with SHIELD."

"Hey!" Ward protested.

"Miss Lewis," Coulson started again. "About London-"

"No," Darcy pointed at him. "I was good. I tried calling SHIELD. No one answered. No one came. Our little science-civilian team plus Thor had to deal with it on our own, so neither you nor SHIELD gets a free pass from me." She looked at Ward and Skye before lifting an eyebrow. "New team, Agent Coulson? Clint and Tasha will be disappointed."

His lips thinned. "Are they-"

"-in town?" she finished archly. "Oh, yes, there around here somewhere." A solitary yelp drew their attention for a moment. The flood of robots seemed to have slowed to a trickle. Her lips pursed and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, and by the way, if you don't want to be seeing them in the flesh real, _real_ soon? You might want to be moving along. They were not happy about the interruption to our lunch." She turned, walking back towards her table.

"Are you…"

"Going to tell them?" she tossed back over her shoulder. "The second they arrive." Darcy faced him once more, walking a couple of steps backwards. "I don't work for SHIELD, and my nondisclosure forms only cover New Mexico." A smirk touched her lips, but it couldn't hide the angry disappointment in her eyes. "Pepper's lawyers had a field day making that commission." Turning again, she moved to the table and sat with her back to them.

"Damn," Coulson muttered.

"Sir?" Ward prompted as Skye looked on, eyes wide with shock. He watched as his superior seemed to have some inner struggle.

"We have to go," Coulson sighed, turning to lead them away.

Ward glanced back once just before turning the corner and spotted two figures, one a shapely red-head and the other a male with and easy stride, making their way towards the solitary brunette. They were out of sight in the next second.

Skye leaned towards him. "What was _that_ all about?"

He looked down at her. "That was the warning siren…the shit's about to hit the fan." His gaze turned to the man a few feet in front of them. "And then it's headed right for him…and probably us."

Maybe he could figure out a way to be on leave when Romanoff and Barton showed up?


End file.
